The Outsiders Alternate Ending
by Rosie.Just Rosie
Summary: This is a completely different ending to S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Don't read unless you have read the book! Could be confusing and may ruin some parts for you. Begins in the middle of chapter 10, after the gang gets Dally's call.
1. Close Call

**A/N: I hope that you all enjoy this story. This is my first real, completed, Fanfic, and I am so excited to see what you guys think! Please R&R. Begins after Johnny dies and Dally freaks out and robs the store and calls the gang to get them to come 'hide' him. I sadly do not own the amazing work of S.E. Hinton! **

We ran as hard as we could. We had to get to the lot. Dally couldn't go to jail now. He was hurting too much on the inside. He cared too much about Johnny to be locked up for a while. The grief would drive him crazy. He wasn't thinking straight. He knew he couldn't do it. I don't think I could stand it if he went to jail. He loved Johnny like I did, maybe even more. Unless his plan wasn't to get caught...he wanted to die. He wanted to be with Johnny. No! He can't do that to us, to me. I can't watch two friends die in the same night! I ran even harder. I pulled it from inside me and I ran faster than I ever have before.

The lot came into view as Dally ran into the light of the street lamp. I was ten feet away from him when he started to reach into his waistband. He's got a gun! It's not even loaded! They'll shoot him! But, thats what he wanted. I ran even harder and straight into Dally at full speed, tackling him to the ground. I pinned both his arms down and sat on his chest, to keep him from getting up. He could easily have shaken me off, but he was too stunned to do anything. I looked straight into his eyes. His dark eyes were full of fear and adrenaline. He had sweat running down his forehead, and he was shaking. It made him look half-mad. We were both breathing heavily. The rest of the gang showed up in the background, but I didn't shift my focus. I couldn't. "You can't do this, Dally. You can't leave. You can't die on me. I can't loose two friends on the same night, and I sure can't watch it happen." I said, a little shakily as I fought back tears. "I loved Johnny too, Dally. I miss him just as much as you do. I can't bear it if I loose you, too. I just can't do it. Just, please, please, don't do this." I realized I was crying and stopped trying to hold it back. I laid my head briefly on his chest. It seemed too heavy to hold up now, the blows to the head I got from the rumble and the fear mixing and making it too much. I felt his chest slow down as he calmed himself.

I felt someone put a hand on my shoulder, making me stand up and fall into the figure's arms. I figured it was Soda. He was the only one who honestly knew how to help me, he'd seen me cry every once and a while. I was almost surprised to figure out it was Darry. That didn't matter to me, though.

Darry didn't say anything. He just folded me into his arms, and rubbed my back comfortingly. It made me feel better. I looked back at Dally, to see what he was doing. He was sitting in the same spot I tackled him in, with his knees up and his head in his hands. I think it probably was just sinking in, what he was about to do to himself. It had just barely sunk in for me, if even.

I was thinking of going over to talk to him, even started to walk over there, but the fuzz beat me to him. They picked him up by the elbows and handcuffed him. He didn't argue. He didn't even have that characteristic smug grin and mischievous twinkle in his eyes that he always has when he's getting hauled away. He just looked broken, defeated. He didn't struggle or argue, or even do anything when the cops put him in the back of the car. I don't think he had the mind to right now. It was almost painful to watch them drive away with Dallas Winston. It never has been before. He'd always come back a few months later, just the same as he always was. We'd visit him from time to time, especially me and Johnny. But that wouldn't happen this time. He wouldn't be the same Dally we all knew. Johnny and I wouldn't go visit him together. Johnny would've wanted to every single day, he always did, but we never let him. We thought he needed to let Dally be Dally. Dally said he didn't want him to come everyday. 'People would think he was getting soft, with a little babysitter to check up on him everyday.' Dally used to say that every time we told him about Johnny. I promised myself I would go every day. For Johnny. Dallas and I both needed it. If I wasn't gonna go, who was? And who else would Dally listen to? Or talk to? He needed me. He didn't have anyone else. His parents wouldn't visit him. The gang was his only family. If we traded places I'm sure he'd visit me. And I would at least have Darry and Sodapop if he didn't. He had no one besides me who truly understood how he felt. I was with Johnny the whole time. When he killed Bob, when we were in the church, when we were rescuing the kids. Dally and I were the last ones Johnny saw before he left. We watched him die. Neither of us can ever forget that, but we have to live with it. Johnny can't come back. I know that now. He was dead. No matter how much I told myself he wasn't, he was still gone. I can't keep pretending that he isn't. One of us has to be strong and accept the reality, not try to get ourselves killed, like Dally did.

I hadn't realized that I had shouted out "No!" while they drove off with Dally. I didn't even feel or hear myself scream, but the rest of the gang did. Darry just came over and put his arms around me again. "It's gonna be okay, Ponyboy. We'll be just fine. It'll all work out. He'll be out before you know it. He always is. C'mon. Lets go home." He said quietly to me. I nodded my head through my tears, Darry let go of me, expecting me to walk back on my own, but I couldn't get my feet to move. I just stared at the road, acting like I could still see him. Could still see Dally's haunted face. Could hear the cops giving him a hard time, calling him by name because he's been in the back of a cop car who knows how many times before. Him, not responding, thinking about Johnny. Maybe crying a little. I couldn't bear the thought of his pain right now.

I took a few steps forward, towards the road, getting faster as I go. I don't know what I was gonna do. Run to the jail? Beg them to let Dally out? I probably would have if Soda hadn't realized what I was gonna do. "Oh, no you don't Pony." He said, as he picked me up, almost with ease. I'd lost quite a few pounds while hiding. I could tell it still wasn't easy for him, though. So Darry came over and took me from him. He cradled me in his arms as I cried. We walked home somberly, no one saying a word.

Darry, Soda, and I walked into the house and Darry carried me to my bed, as I finally got a hold of myself. The rest of the gang had gone back to wherever they were sleeping that night, it always changes with them. Mine and Soda's room seemed almost foreign to me. I knew it hadn't changed though, I had. The bed felt soft, even through the pain. I kicked off my shoes and relaxed in bed. Soda was in the other room doing whatever while Darry put me in bed. I got under the covers and got comfortable. He ruffled my hair a little bit. "Night, Little Buddy." He said as he walked to the door. I smiled. I loved it when he called me that. He flipped the light off and was halfway out of the room. "Hey, Darry?" I said fast, so he heard and didn't leave the room. "Yeah, Pony?" He replied. "Thanks. For being there for me and all. I couldn't live without you. I appreciate it." I said. I saw him smile through the dim light shining through the door. "I wouldn't wanna be doing anything else, Pony. I love you Little Buddy." He said, and walked out the door. As soon as I was alone I whispered "I love you too, Darry. I love you too."

My silence and peace were short-lived as Soda bounded in and hopped into bed. He threw his arm around me like always. "Night, Ponyboy." He said, and not very quietly. I don't think he had a quiet mode. I chuckled drowsily. "Night, Soda." And I let sleep pull me under.

**A/N: I know, I know, it is kind of short, but it was that or put all of my pages in one chapter, and that would be long, so I have to split it up in smaller segments. Please let me know what you think, and please make suggestions for future Fanfics you would like to see**!


	2. The Dream

**A/N: Well do you like it? Please let me know. Once again, I do not own The Outsiders.**

I woke up in a cold sweat that morning. I had another dream, and this time I remembered it. It was about Dally, and Johnny. We were at the lot last night, the night Dally almost got himself killed. Except for this time, I didn't stop him. I couldn't. I couldn't move, just sit and watch. He pulled out his gun. Johnny was there too. He was yelling at Dallas, but he was dead and Dally couldn't hear him. He was hitting Dally as hard as he could, grabbing the gun and trying to rip it out of his hands. But nothing moved. He was sobbing, pleading with Dally to stop. The ring of gunfire was echoing through the lot. I jumped, but Dally was on the ground, before we knew it, dead. Once I was finally released from the spell I was under, I ran over to Dally, begging him not to die. I was alone. The gang wasn't there. Where were they? Why weren't they here?

Then, Johnny turned to me slowly, with a menacing look plainly on his face. "It's all your fault Pony! All your fault! You were standing there! You could've stopped him! You could've stopped everything. If you hadn't have run away from Darry, I wouldn't have had to kill Bob, and we wouldn't have had to run away, we wouldn't have saved those kids, wouldn't have seen it happen, I wouldn't have died, and Dally wouldn't have just gotten himself killed! It's all your fault! All of it!" He yelled at me, getting closer to me with each sentence. I was cringing away from him, like the scared puppy that he always used to be.

I was woken up by shaking, it was Soda. "Pony! Pony! Wake up!" He was shouting. I jolted up and immediately started sobbing. "It's all my fault, Soda! It all leads back to me! I got Johnny killed! And Dally killed!" I was shouting. "Wait, wait, hold on Pony! Dally isn't dead. You saved him remember. You tackled him! He _would_ be dead if it wasn't for you. He's fine." Soda told me. I sighed in relief. Dally was okay. He wasn't dead, but Johnny still was. By now Darry had entered the room and sat on the edge of our bed. "It's okay, Ponyboy. It's okay. Just calm down." He rubbed my head as I started to breath deep and get myself under control. "I had a nightmare Darry. And I remembered it this time. It was terrible." I said. A look of concern crossed his face, and I explained my nightmare to them in reply. Both of them visibly cringed when I explained how real it seemed. Darry gave me a quick hug. "I guess we ought to go see Dally today, huh, Pony? Do you wanna go see him?" He asked, tenderly. I wiped my nose with the sleeve of my shirt, and nodded my head. "Okay, then. It's settled. I'll go make breakfast and we'll head down there to see him." Darry said, as he messed up my hair even more and walked out to make us some eggs.

I laid my head back down on my pillow. "Soda? What made you wake me up?" I asked, curiously. "You were mumbling about how it was all your fault. It started as a whisper, but then you got louder and louder. I shook you, but you wouldn't wake up. You had me scared nearly to death. I finally had to shout for Darry." He said, with a worried look in his eyes. Neither of us said anything. I was still a little shaky from the dream. I new I couldn't just shake off the feeling that it was my fault, couldn't shake how real it seemed. Did Johnny know a way to come into my dreams? To say what he really thought about me? Did he really think him dying was my fault, because I ran away? I started shaking more and more violently.

Soda grabbed my head and forced me to look at his face. "Hey, Pony. You've gotta calm down. It's not your fault, and Dally isn't dead. Johnny made the choices to go with you, to kill that Soc, to run away. To save those kids. None of it is your fault. You've saved lots of people in this week alone. All those kids, and Dally. Yes, we did lose Johnny, but you said he was okay with it when he left. If he wasn't ready, or okay with it, he would've fought harder. He lived a scared life, and he didn't have a lot to live for, besides us, and he was ready. He's in a better place and he doesn't blame you. And the reason he doesn't is because it wasn't your fault. Okay? So just breath and push the thought from your mind. Can you do that for me? For Dally?" He asked. He always knew the best things to say. He always made me feel better. I don't know what I would do if they separated us. I just couldn't do it. He kept me grounded. I leaned over and just rested my head on his lap. He pet my hair until Darry came in. "C'mon. Breakfast is ready." He said. He had been super careful with how he said and did things around me ever since Johnny and I had returned. It was nice, but made me feel pitied. I had almost said something to him about it-it just wasn't normal-but I decided against it. He was struggling too. He was the one who caused me to run. I knew he felt guilty, but he shouldn't feel guilty. It was my fault. No! It wasn't my fault. It wasn't me. Johnny made decisions on his own. I kept repeating Soda's words in my mind through breakfast. Trying to convince myself that they were true.

We were all too hungry to say anything while eating. We were all stuffing our faces with eggs and chocolate cake. I guess there was another reason we weren't talking. None of us trusted ourselves, particularly me, to speak about it. And, we all wanted to hurry and go see Dally. We all finished and immediately went to get ready. Soda and I put grease in our hair while Darry shaved. We got dressed and headed to the car as soon as we could. We drove to the jail quickly, but not quite speeding. Darry was too responsible. There was an unspoken uneasiness in the car. Everyone was worried about how I would react, how Dally would react, and what to say. There was no way to tell, and no right answers.

**A/N: Please don't forget to review! And thanks for reading my story! It means a lot.**


	3. Visiting Prison

**A/N: I do not own The Outsiders**

We pulled up to the jail and found a parking space. The lot was almost empty, no one would be visiting the prisoners so early. We headed to the front desk to ask if we could see Dally. They virtually knew us by name and just sent us back without us even coming to the desk. I laughed silently. We headed back to the meeting area. They used to only tell us talk through phones, and sheets of glass. But now, we were allowed to go back and sit with Dally at the tables.

We still had to get checked by the guards for weapons of any sort before we could go through the gate to see Dally. Then they let us in they escorted us to an empty table for us to wait. They still had not told him we were here. All three of us were getting more nervous the longer we had to wait. I noticed that I was absentmindedly chewing on my fingernails, Soda was tapping, and Darry was pacing back and forth. All our nervous habits. We all did them every once and a while, Darry more frequently. He had a lot to be nervous about.

Just then, Dally came walking into the room. Escorted by two guards. He looked even more rugged than usual. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. His hair was in a mess and he had bags under his broken eyes. He was dressed in the typical convict orange, but they didn't force him to have the handcuffs. They sat him down at the same circle table as us on one of the four benches. They walked away and left us alone. No one said anything for a few minutes, and no one looked at each other. I felt like I needed to talk to Dally alone for a few minutes, just to let him know I'm here for him. He'd be more likely to listen if I was by myself. "Can we have a minute you guys?" I asked my brothers. Darry gave me a speculative look, but dragged Soda away, anyway. Dally finally looked up at me. I guess he wanted to talk alone too. "Why are you here, Ponyboy?" He asked. He even sounded different. "I just wanted to see you." I said, not exactly wanting to explain my dream to him. He saw right through me. "What's the real reason you're here?" He asked, knowingly. I sighed in defeat. "I had a dream last night. A dream that I can't shake. It was of last night, except your plan worked." I said, timidly. He cringed and so did I. He looked away, anywhere but my face. He looked like he wanted to apologize, and started to but I wouldn't let him finish. I think I might have broken down if he did. "Johnny was there too. He was trying to stop you. Screaming, hitting, he grabbed the gun a couple of times, but you couldn't feel or hear him. But I could. Once you went down, I knew you were gone, and so did he. He started screaming at me, telling me that everything was my fault and that if I hadn't been a coward and ran from Darry that night, none of this would've happened. We wouldn't have had to run away and you wouldn't have died. I guess I was saying out loud that it was my fault because Soda had to wake me up. He tried convincing me that it wasn't my fault, but I know it was. I know Darry blames himself, for hitting me and all. But, it isn't his fault. And it's not yours either. It's all on me. I should be in here, and you should be out, living life. I'm sorry Dally. So sorry." I felt a tear or two run down my face. I quickly glanced around to see if there was anyone else in the room. There wasn't. Except for Darry and Soda who were on the other end of the room, staring worriedly at me. I gave them the best smile I could muster, but neither of them believed it.

My attention was drawn back to Dally. "Don't you dare say that, Ponyboy. None of it is your fault. We each have our own share in it. We each made our own decisions. I understand that now. We can't pin this on one person. I'm glad I'm the one behind bars. I'm used to it. You couldn't last a day in here Pony. You'd get eaten alive. You're to good for this place. If anything I have the most blame. I killed Johnny more than any of you could imagine. All he wanted was for me to be proud of him. He looked up to me, for reasons we'll never understand. I didn't tell him nearly enough. I was always proud of that kid. He meant more to me than any of you ever will know. He should've died that night he was mugged. He should've been mean and harsh like me for getting beat all the time from his folk's. He never did though. I could've protected him. I could've stopped him. I should've. I should've." He said. I knew he was kicking himself on the inside. You could see it in his face.

"Dally, it's gonna be okay. Johnny's not mad at you. He never could be." I tried. None of us had experience with working with Dally this way. He was always the tough one. The one who told everyone to suck it up. I didn't know how to approach it. He didn't say anything for a second. "He left me a note, Pony. He told the nurses to give it to me. I got it last night when they were checking me out at the hospital before we came here." He said, choking back tears. He pulled out a piece of folded paper and slid it across the table to me. I picked it up and unfolded it.

_Dally,_

_ I'm not mad at you, and would never blame you for the choices I made. It wasn't your fault, and it wasn't Pony's either. I know you were just trying to help us out by sending us to Windrixville, and you did. And I thank you for that. But I'm also sorry for turning right back around on you and asking you to take us back home. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry that it had to end this way. I just want to let you know that I've always looked up to you and how you didn't let nothing bother you, and no one ever got in your way. I wanted to be like you. I wanted you to tell me you were proud of me, but I know now that you are. I'll never be gone, Dally, just on a really long break. See you later,_

_ Johnny Cake_

I looked at him, and briefly at Darry in the background, as tears ran down mine and Dally's faces. "Pony, what did he mean when he told you to 'Stay gold'?" Dally asked. I had to think for a moment, as I slid the note back to him. My thoughts weren't in order, and I wasn't sure of the best way to word it. "There was this poem that talked about nature being gold. I told it to him, and neither of us knew what it meant until now. Johnny figured it out. He wrote it in the note he left for me. He meant for me to stay who I am inside, and not get tough, I guess." I said. Dally digested that, and nodded, saying "Follow his advice, Pony. Stay who you are. You're a good kid. Don't turn hard like me." He looked back at my face. I remembered something that I should tell him. "You know? When we were in that church, we read _Gone With the Wind,_ and there are these cowboys in there who ride off to meet in a battle, that they know they have no chance of winning. They know they are going to die, but they are going to die fighting for a cause they believe in. They were called the 'gallant riders.' When I explained to Johnny what that meant, he said that they reminded him of you, about how tough you were. He wouldn't stop bringing it up." I said, laughing slightly, trying to stop the last few tears from coming. I saw him smile slightly. "He always was a dreamer." Dally said, quietly. Then he looked up at me, "Hey, Pony? Do you think that you could get me a copy of that poem?" I nodded, knowing why he wanted it. Johnny. It all lead back to him.

I looked up at Darry and saw his face of impatience, and jerked my head over to us, telling him he could come over. He sighed in relief and him and Soda made their way back to the table.

We talked about anything but last night, and what happened in the past week or two, trying to distract ourselves. Eventually the guards told us we had to leave. We took our time leaving, stood there watching as they dragged Dally back. Just before he was out of our sights he yelled "Hey, Pony? Don't forget, okay?" I knew he meant the poem. "I won't, I swear." I said, struggling. He was gone again, just like that. I was just glad that he was safe, and that he couldn't do anything to harm himself, or at least he wouldn't.

Soda put his arm around my shoulders once we got outside. "Race you to the car?" He said, trying to lighten the mood. "Ok, Go!" I screamed and took off, leaving Soda behind. "Hey! That's cheating!" Soda screamed, as his footsteps made themselves known behind me. I laughed. I was breathing heavy when I reached the car. Soda and Darry showed up a few seconds later, battling it out for second. They collided, but Soda pulled out on top. Darry picked him up by the waist and threw him over his shoulder. They were both laughing. I guess he noticed me watching them because Darry reached over and grabbed my head, pulling me to his chest and rubbed my head playfully, making it hard to breath. We were all laughing, and Soda was squealing joyfully, for Darry to put him down. It had been a while since something like this had happened. Everyone had been on edge lately, and before that, Darry and I just clashed and he didn't realize how important things like this were. He had done things like this with Soda before, but this was one of the first times he'd done this with me too. It felt good to be happy and laugh. Truly laugh. For the past week I've been nothing but terrified. Never again. I'd never run away again. Never have to be afraid again. Darry wouldn't ever do anything or let anything hurt me that much again.

Darry finally let me go and put Soda down. I hopped in the backseat, as usual with Sodapop riding 'shotgun' and Darry driving. Then, something strange happened. Darry turned the music up loud, and left it there. He never did that. Not in the car. Not in the house, but he didn't object when Soda did it in the house, but never in the car. He said that people would really think we were hoods for blaring our music so loud it shook the car, and that it was dangerous. You wouldn't be able to hear sirens, or people honking, or the person next to you, not even yourself think. This was starting to get really weird. It was so uncharacteristic of Darry. What had gotten into him? I wondered. Soda seemed surprised at first, but then ignored it and smiled. Was I missing something? When I saw Soda look back at me through the rearview mirror I gave him a questioning look. He just shrugged his shoulders and looked away. He didn't seem bothered so why should I?

We finally arrived at our home and we all walked in cheerfully. Darry was whistling. I had to know what was going on. I grabbed Soda by the arm, holding him back as Darry walked into the house. I looked him in his carefree eyes. "Soda, what's going on with Darry? He's acting very strange today." He shrugged again. "How should I know? Besides, what's the big deal with it? He's happy. Nothing could ruin his mood right now; and that's saying something. He ain't yelling at you, so you should be happy too! You dig?" He said. I nodded, but was still suspicious, but decided to ignore it. Heck, Soda was probably right. Nothing was wrong with Darry. He's just happy, for once. For once since Mom and Dad died, Darry didn't care what happened that day. He was living life.

Darry, Soda, and I all gathered in our living room and turned up the stereo. Soda pulled out his deck of beat up cards that he takes with him everywhere. We played a few rounds of poker, betting food and chores and whatnot. Soda, of course, was trying to cheat, but he's not very good at it. We always catch him, mainly because we're watching. He's good at getting them out of the deck and storing them in his shoe, but not very good at getting them out and playing it. But, when we know we can beat his hand, we let him cheat. We played the rest of the day, taking a few breaks for lunch and just talking, until Darry said it was time for dinner. Him and Soda got up to go get started on it, while I went and sat at the table, talking to them. They didn't usually let me help. Our kitchen was too small, or at least that was their excuse. We were having a good conversation when they brought over the food and sat down. We were having spaghetti. For the first time in a while, we were all truly laughing and enjoying time together. We all ate and went back to our poker game, sometimes we changed poker games when we got bored with it or had nothing left to bet with.

We were in the middle of a good game of Texas Hold 'Em, when we heard a knock at our door. We all paused, wondering who it would be. The gang just walked in, so did all the other Greasers. Darry set his cards down on the floor and walked to the door. He opened it cautiously. I strained my ears to hear the low conversation between the man at the door and Darry, but I couldn't make out any of the words. Darry walked back to his room with an envelope in his hand. He been back there for a minute or two, reading it probably, when we heard a large crash. Soda and I exchanged a worried look. Before either of us could run back there to see what happened, Darry walked back into the room and sat cross-legged on the carpet at our coffee table, where we were playing our game. Soda and I just looked at him, with concern and a million questions running through our eyes. Darry just looked up with one of his faces that hides what he's thinking and feeling. Almost convincing that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, but I knew better. I also knew better than to ask him what happened. I knew he'd deny anything ever happened. He just reorganized his cards and looked back up at us.

"Well, where were we?" He asked, almost innocently. He'd had a lot of practice hiding his feelings in his face, but he wasn't a master at it through his voice. We could tell he struggled to say that. We didn't push it and just continued playing. Everyone afraid of saying anything, I was still trying to put the puzzle together. What could have made Darry that upset? Darry was one of the toughest people I know. He'd been through a lot in his twenty years. A lot that he shouldn't have had to. He shouldn't have been thrust into the roll of being mine and Soda's guardian. Having to keep us in line all the time. He should be in college, or have a good career, have a family. Not be worrying about us.

After we wrapped up the game we were on, Darry went to his room. I looked at Soda as he watched Darry walk off. He looked down and sorted out the cards. He did that sometimes to distract himself. I just sat there, brainstorming things that it could be. There was a loud thud that came from Darry's room, but not quite a noise of something breaking like the last one was. More like something being thrown across the room. Neither of us could stand it any longer. Soda jumped up first and nearly ran to our brother's room, and I was two steps behind him. He threw Darry's door open and walked in, but stopped dead at the sight.

What I saw was shocking. Books were scattered around the floor and there were shards of glass, from the mirror he had knocked down. The most gut-wrenching sight was of Darry, our tough big brother Darry, who never cracked, who never let his true emotions through, was sitting on his bed, knees up and head in his hands, sobbing. This must have taken a lot. He's never done this before. Not even when Mom and Dad died. Aside from Dally, he was the toughest person I know. And now, both of them were broken.

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't move, couldn't think straight. Soda knew though. He walked over and sat next to Darry on the bed and just put his arms around him. Darry melted into him. I suddenly got a flash of Dad doing this once when Soda was little and he got skinned up when he fell down. He was a tender little kid. He was tough now, but then he didn't have to be. Now the scene was backwards. Soda was comforting Darry. It looked odd. A big, tough guy bawling in the arms of his kid-brother. I walked over and sat on the other side of Darry, not exactly sure what to do. I don't know how long we sat there, but it felt like forever. Eventually, Darry calmed down enough that we could talk to him. "All right, what's wrong, Darry? You know you can tell us." Soda's tone was gentle and cautious. Darry sat up out of Soda's arms and wiped his eyes. He looked around the room, obviously looking for something. When he found the letter he handed it to Soda. As he read it, Darry explained. "It's the letter reminding us about the court date." He paused, as if the silence would explain it. When no one said anything, he continued. "I'm just terrified. Terrified that we're going to be separated. We're all we got left, and it just wouldn't be the same without you guys. I don't know how I could go on the same." He looked over at me and gave an almost sheepish smile. I could tell it was difficult for him to let us know his deepest fear and feelings. He'd always been so closed. I then realized that all three of us were crying quietly. We needed each other. That was evident now more than ever.

Darry reached over and grabbed me in a headlock, pulling me closer to him. He grabbed Soda in the same way. "I love you guys. Even though we fight," I felt him look down at me. "I love you more than you know." I punched him in the ribs affectionately. He let us both go. It hurt to see him like this. I knew it took a lot of pain to have him finally break. I knew he was falling apart on the inside.

I wanted to say something like 'don't worry Darry. We ain't gonna get separated'; but I knew it probably wasn't true. We were Greasers, never got any slack. They'd been watching us like hawks ever since Mom and Dad died, just waiting for one little thing to go wrong and they'd snatch us up and put us in boy's homes. Now, they had a reason and I was almost positive they would use it for everything its worth. We had a good enough argument for me not to get jailed, maybe, but not to stay with Darry. How would I explain why I ran in the first place to them? I would probably just blame it on the Socs. No one but Johnny and my brothers really knew why _I _ran to begin with. _I_ ran because Darry hit me. No one knew that part. They only knew why Johnny and I ran, because of Bob. No one else has to know, I told myself. Don't give them another reason. It wasn't even Darry's fault that we went to Windrixville. I wasn't really going to run when I left the house. I was coming back, until I couldn't. Man, if I hadn't have fallen asleep in the lot that night, everything would be okay right now. Despite what Soda says, I know it's my fault this all happened. I was irresponsible. If only I would have listened to Darry.

All thoughts cleared out of my head as I threw my arms around Darry's neck. "I love you too, Darry. I'm so sorry. If I would've just listened to you, none of this would be happening. I'm sorry you guys." I said, crying a little harder as realization sank in that this could be the last week I'll ever have with, or maybe even see my brothers. I couldn't bear that thought so I pushed it away. It didn't seem fair that just a week's worth of bad could sentence us to a lifetime without family. Family isn't something you can take away. We are put in families for a reason. To be together. And now they wanted to ruin that. Darry folded his arms around me and rubbed my back, trying to get me to calm down. "It ain't your fault, Pony; and even if it was, I wouldn't blame you. You did what any scared kid would do. I don't know a single greaser who hasn't at least _thought_ of running away, you and Johnny just did it. It's not your fault that society hates us and wants to tear apart our lives. And who know's maybe we'll get lucky and they'll give us a second chance. They give terrible people second chances all the time, so why not us, you dig, Pony?"

Before I even got a chance to answer, Soda threw the nearest book to him across the room, giving a startling noise as it crashed down. "It just isn't fair! You know they won't give us a second chance! They've been waiting for this opportunity this whole time! An opportunity to tear us apart! They didn't want us to stay together in the first place, and the only reason we are together now is because of how young we were then, and because of the begging and pleading we did to stay together! But now, it doesn't matter how much begging and pleading we do, they will blame it on how we are older now and we don't need each other anymore! But they're wrong! We do need each other! We need each other now more than ever! The Jury won't help us! They won't pity us! They'll all probably be Soc parent's who don't see us as anything but murderers with a sob story! That's all we'll ever be to them! We've played all our cards, and have nothing to show for it! We played a risky game, and we lost! This is all just a game to them! They're going to separate us no matter what we do! But, I need you guys! We need each other! I just can't let you guys go! I'll never be the same! I need you." He got quiet towards the end. Its harder to yell when you're sobbing like he was. We all huddled closer together and just cried as our hopelessness flooded our world. We cried until we all fell asleep, together on Darry's bed.

**A/N: This chapter was a little bit emotional for me to write, I really develop deep connections with the characters I read and write about, so it was hard to write such sad things.**


	4. The Hearing

**A/N: This is the last chapter to my alternate ending. :( I do not own The Outsiders.**

We spent every waking moment that we could together in the last two weeks before our hearing. Trying to make the moments count. We didn't care what we were doing as long as we were doing it together. Two-Bit and Steve came over a lot, probably sensing that we didn't have much longer left together. We played football a lot, and poker. Somedays we just sat and talked. We still went to visit Dally every chance we could. He was still broken, and we were all still worried. The day I gave him the poem he just stared at it. He opened it and read it once or twice and without a word folded it up and put it in his shirt. I'm not sure how it stayed, but he must've found a little opening in the outfit. He was always looking for little ways to cheat the system.

Our court date came way too fast for us. We weren't ready to say goodbye. We tried to look our best though, as was customary. We can look pretty sharp when we want to. My hair had grown out a little, but Darry had me cut it. It looked strange anyway. My dark black hair was growing out on the bottom, but the bleached hair was still there. He tried to cut off just the bleached part, but had to cut off a little of my black hair too. It was so short. It looked so unnatural. I tried to put hair oil in it to slick it back, but there wasn't enough so it just turned out spiked. I figured I'd just leave it, no matter how sad it made me. We were all wearing the best clothes we had, which isn't saying much. We all put on our jeans that had the least amount of tears and stains on them, with t-shirts and our normal jackets.

The court room was a little intimidating, with all the security, and the judge just watching us. We took our seats. I looked around the room to see who ending up coming. Randy Anderson and his parents were there, so was Cherry, and a few other Soc's. The rest of the gang was there, including Dally. He was brought in with handcuffs on, not that that was necessary. He wasn't going to do anything. Not in front of a judge. He might be careless sometimes but he ain't dumb. The doctor was there too. The one who worked with me and Johnny.

The judge slammed his gavel to get the session started. He explained why we were here, as if we didn't know. He explained what the possible charges were and that we could potentially be split up. I tried not think about it. I couldn't cry in front of these people.

The Soc's were called up to explain what happened, they told the truth, thankfully. Randy and Cherry went up and testified it was in self defense and that the Soc's were drunk. Cherry even said that it wasn't my fault, or Johnny's and that I shouldn't go to jail or be separated. I was almost surprised by that, but glad she said that. Maybe if the judge heard it from someone else it would work. The gang was more or less there for moral support. They didn't say much. They were both asked to come up and talk a little about whether or not they thought Darry was a good role model, and a good guardian for us. They obviously said he was, and they weren't just saying that. Darry was the best and we all knew it.

Then, Dally was asked to come up. I was worried he was going to break down, but he never did. I noticed something strange though, in the way he presented himself. His eyes had lost that broken look and were filled with determination and the sparks of a new Dally. His face wasn't hard anymore, it let his emotions through, and not just the harsh ones. When he spoke of Johnny his eyes were lit with pride and love but also sorrow. And when he looked at me, his eyes were telling me it'd be ok, that he was ok. He confessed to everything. To giving us a gun, money, and a place to stay. He said that I was just scared and nothing should change with Soda, Darry, and I and that we needed each other. I was struck dumb. I figured he would just go up and say something about what he knew happened, and something about us living with Darry. I didn't think he'd confess. He looked at me and smiled. The first smile of his I'd seen in a very long time.

The judge finally asked me and my brothers questions. Asking about Johnny, and what happened that night and over the week, and whether or not we thought we should stay together. We all gave the truth, but we knew it wouldn't help much. We'd be separated.

The judge looked over his papers for a minute or two before looking back at us. He gave the verdict. I didn't get pressed with any charges, but Dally got a few more months in jail for helping us. That was expected. I started tearing up, knowing what the next thing he would say is that we're being separated for careless behavior. But, he surprised us: he said we could have one more chance. I immediately hugged both my brothers as hard as I could. We'd be together! And this time, we wouldn't mess up! We held on to each other for a few minutes, absorbing what had just happened. We were here to stay.

I finally let go. They were starting to take Dally back. "Wait!" I called after them as I ran to Dally. I stopped before I tackled him and the guards. I embraced him in a hug though, and saw the fuzz flinch towards us but backed off. "Thanks, Dally." I didn't exactly know what to say. "Don't sweat it, kid. Just try not to get in to much trouble while I'm gone. And don't forget to visit, still. It gets pretty lonely, in that hunk of steel cell." He said with a sharp laugh. I laughed too and nodded. "Why'd you confess, Dally?" I asked seriously. "For Johnnycake. I knew he'd want me to." That was all he got a chance to say before Cherry came over. I gave her a knowing smile and she blushed as I walked away. I knew she was finally letting him in. I knew she liked him, probably fell in love with him already, like she said she would.

The next few weeks were the best weeks we'd ever had, maybe even the best we ever will. We were closer than ever. True brothers. We didn't fight at all, didn't close off, didn't cry. It was nice. I loved my brothers and I wouldn't change how anything went in the past few weeks. Because through the last few weeks, we truly became a family.

**A/N: Happy Ending! Yes, that is the end :( But if you review with some suggestions I will put up a new story faster. But I promise there will be a new story up soon, no matter which one of the two of us it is from. And no I won't tell you which one I am. ;) Let me know what you thought.**


	5. Authors Note

**Hey you guys,**

** I just want to thank you for taking the time to read my work, but I also want to ask you guys to please please please reveiw. This is my first ever fanfic, and if I don't feel like I'm getting support and people don't like, I might just stop writing fanfics. I won't stop writing all together, but I might stop fanfics. I don't even care if it is bad, as long as you're not telling me I'm the worst writer ever. But I will gladly accept constructive critisism and absolutely will accept good things. Just please let me know what you think! I'm not quite comfortable with Fanfic yet so I need some encouragement, or even tips if you have some, whether its about writing of fanfic stuff. **

** Thanks. Keep Reading ;),**

** Ali and Rosie**


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